- Centralized Farm Machinery Performance Testing Portal
The issue in news
Union Agriculture Minister launches the Centralized Farm Machinery Performance Testing Portal in the public domain.
Main points
- The portal has been developed by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare.
- It is seen as a step to improve the services of farm machinery testing institutions and bringing out transparency in the entire process of testing and evaluation of machines.
- The portal will facilitate manufacturers in applying, communicating and monitoring the progress of testing of their machines in a seamless manner as it is easily accessible from any location and from any device connected to the Internet.
- It will improve the efficiency of the testing institutes thereby reducing testing time for various agricultural machines and equipment.
Benefits of agricultural mechanization:
- It contributes to increasing the efficiency and productivity of all direct as well as indirect inputs used in the crop production system.
- It also reduces the drudgery associated with various farm operations.
- Testing of farm machines is an important aspect of agricultural mechanization which benefits both buyers i.e. farmers as well as the manufacturers of agricultural machinery.
- Testing and evaluation of agricultural machinery encourage improvement in quality and functional suitability.
- Comparable data for similar machines are available to manufacturers, which help them in improving the design of their product and open up avenues in the commercialization of agricultural machinery not only on the national level but also globally.
- RAISE 2020
The issue in news
RAISE 2020 – Mega Virtual Summit on Artificial Intelligence to be held in October 2020.
About RAISE 2020:
- RAISE 2020- ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020,’ is being conducted by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and NITI Aayog.
- It will be a global meeting of minds to exchange ideas and chart a course for using AI for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment in areas like healthcare, agriculture, education and smart mobility, among other sectors.
- Representatives from the global AI industry will hold discussions at the summit.
- Chosen start-ups will also showcase their AI solutions in the summit.
Background:
- India is home to the world’s third-largest start-up ecosystem. Industry analysts predict that AI could add up to $957 billion to India’s economy by 2035.
- Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY)
The issue in news
Foundation day of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) on 25th September.
Main points
- 25th September 2014 was declared the ‘Antyodaya Diwas’ in honour of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya’s 98th birth anniversary.
- On the same day, the Ministry of Rural Development revamped its existing skill development program called Aajeevika Skills as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY).
- To commemorate Antyodaya Diwas 2020, the Ministry is celebrating this day for DDU-GKY with its beneficiaries and other stakeholders spread across the country.
About DDU-GKY:
- DDU-GKY is a part of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), tasked with the dual objectives of adding diversity to the incomes of rural poor families and catering to the career aspirations of rural youth.
- DDU-GKY is uniquely focused on rural youth between the ages of 15 and 35 years from poor families.
- It is a placement linked skill development program which allows skilling in a PPP mode and assured placements in regular jobs in an organization not owned by the skilled person.
- DDU-GKY is being undertaken as a PPP Project all over the country through Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) registered with the Ministry of Rural Development.
- Jnanpith Award
The issue in news
55th ed. Of Jnanpith Award was conferred to Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri
About the Award:
- It is highest literary award of the country.
- Indian languages along with English are considered for the Award.the award is conferred to Indian citizens only and is given annually
- The award consists of 11 lakhs, a citation, and a bronze replica of Vagdevi (Saraswati).
- the cultural organization of Bharatiya Jnanpith sponsors this award.
- Amitav Ghosh (in 2019) became the first English language writer to become a Jnanpith laureate.
Poet Akkitham:
- Akkitham is the sixth writer to get the Jnanpith Award for Malayalam literature. In
- His trademark is modernism in Malayalam poetry. He is the only living poet being called Mahakavi (great poet) in Malayalam.
- His work Balidarshanam won the State and Central Sahitya Akademi Awards in 1972-73. Additionaly ,
- He was also awarded Padmashri in 2017, Ezhuthachan Award and Odakkuzhal Award.
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